Window-screen



ets-Sheet 1 G. K'. MONROE.

WINDOW SCREEN.

Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

(No Model.) N 2 Sheets-Sheetgz G. K. MONROE.

WINDOW SCREEN. No. 554,192. Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

GILBERT K. MONROE, OF PEMBERTON, OHIO.

WI NDOW-SCREEN;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1\l'0. 554,192, dated February 4, 1896. Application filed May 9,1895. Serial No. 548,761. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GILBERT K. MONROE, of Pemberton, in the county of Shelby and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Window-Screens; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

This invention is an improvement in window-screens, and its objects are to facilitate the inserting of the screen between the guides or rails by preventing the springs projecting beyond the grooves in the sides of the screen; to so construct and attach the springs that their tension can, be so adjusted that they will have sufficient tension to hold the screen in place even when at the limit of their outward movement; to make the springs serve as looking devices, and therefore to provide means for unlocking the springs, and to provide a novel metallic guide-rail by which the width of the guide-grooves and consequently the thickness of stiles of the screen-frame may be materially reduced, and which can be as readily fitted to fiat as to curved beads or blind-stops and can be cut into any length desired by the workmen.

WVith ordinary sliding screens provided with friction springs it is very troublesome to get the screens in place, as the springs project beyond the groove and frequently divert the screen from the guide-rail in attempting to slip it thereon, especially when inexperienced persons attempt to remove them. Again, where the springs are not under tension at all until they are pressed back into the grooves by the guide-rails, unless the rails project considerably into the grooves the springs will not have sufficient power to properly uphold the screen. Again, in fitting screens to houses having exterior blinds, owing to the thickness of the stiles of the ordinary screens and their guide-rails it is generallynecessary to cease using the blinds while the screens are, in place, and it is very difficult to fit the wooden guides to the blind-stops,which are ordinarily convex or ogee surfaced.

My invention is designed to obviate all these annoyances and defects, and to produce a simple, perfect, easily-applied, self-locking screen, and therefore it consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter claimed and illustrated in the drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a window with myimproved screen and guide-rails attached. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section illustrating the locking-spring. Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the lower spring. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the spring detached. Fig. 5 shows a modified spring. Fig. 6 is an enlarged bottom view, and Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are cross-sectional views of the guide rails.

Referring to said drawings by letters, A designates the screen-frame, of any suitable construction, having a shallow longitudinal groove 1) in one edge and a deep groove B in the opposite edge.

The friction-springs O O are preferably formed of strap-metal, and ordinarily curved on an arc of about forty-five degrees. One end of the springs is perforated at G for the passage of retaining screws or nails, and the other end is formed with a tongue 0 bent at about right angles to the body of the spring, is about a half-inch long, and its end 0 is again bent outward at right angles, as shown. These springs are secured within groove B with their tongues o depending into sockets B in which the ends 0 of the tongues are caught under the heads of nails or screws D, which are set into the frame sufficiently to hold the bend C of the spring about a thirtysecond of an inch below or within the outer end of the groove, as shown. Thus whether the screen is on or off the guides the springs are kept under tension and if the rail. enters groove 13 sufficiently to keep the screen upright the springs will bind the screen in any position to which it may be adjusted vertically. Furthermore, as the springs do not project from the grooves obviously they will not cause the screen to slip sidewise oif the rail in attempting to engage the groove with the rail, as is the case where the springs project out of the grooves.

It will be observed that while one end of the spring is fixed to the frame, the other end IOO also, the screwD is replaced by a bolt d (or the shank of the screw is carried clear through the side piece of the screen-frame) and connected to a finger-piece d, by which the bolt can be moved longitudinally. The fingerpiece maybe screwed onto the bolt so as to adjust it longitudinally and regulate the position of the spring, as indicated in the drawings. Vhen the bolt is pulled inward toward the center of screen, the spring is drawn away from the guide rail or bead, as is evident. When the finger-piece is released and the screen in the position in which it is to be locked, the bend C of the spring engages a notch e in the guide-rail E and locks the screen, as is evident.

The guide rails E are preferably constructed of wrought metal, as shown in Fig. 7, of a continuous metal strip or ribbon bent centrally and longitudinally upon itself to form the projecting guide portion E of the rail, and then each edge is bent outwardly at right angles, forming securing-flanges E. In other words, the rail may be described as formed of a strip of sheet metal (in crosssection) bent somewhat into the shape of a T railroadn'ail, the web E of the rail being double and the flanges E formed by the opposite sides of the strip. The hollow head of the guide-rail may be filled by a rod or wire F, which may be inserted during the bending of the strip E, so that a solid stiff but light metal guide-rail is formed. The flanges E are perforated at intervals for the passage of fastening-nails, and the opposite bends of the strip may be united at intervals by solder, as at e The rail is preferably m'ade of galvanized metal to avoid rusting and obviously can be cut into any length desired. The guide portion of the rail is much narrower and stronger than the ordinary Wooden guides heretofore used, and consequently the guide-groove of the screens can be correspondingly narrowed, and therefore the thickness of the side pieces of the screen-frame be correspondingly lessened without decreasing its strength while increasing its lightness. As the metal will not warp or swell like wood in damp weather, it is especially applicable for outside screens; but one of its chief merits is that it can be readily fitted onto curved beads or jambs without special tools, as could not be done with the wooden guides ordinarily used.

The adaptability of the guide-rail to various surfaces is indicated in the sectional views, Figs. '7, 8, and 9.

In Fig. 5 the spring 0 has its tongue slotted, as at 0 and engaged by a staple or hookheaded pin or bolt 1).

A supplementary spring 0 may be placed under spring C, as shown, to strengthen the latter, when desired, without employing a heavier gage or thickness of metal for spring C.

Having thus described my invention, what I therefore claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent thereon, is-

1. The combination with the grooved screenframe and guide-rails, of a spring in the groove fixed to the frame at one end, and adjustably attached thereto at the other end, whereby the spring is entirely confined within the groove and kept under tension, and means for adjustii'ig the springs substantially as described.

2. The combination of the grooved screenframe, with the curved spring in the groove having one end fixed to the frame, and the other end provided with a tongue depending into a socket in the bottom of the groove, and a pin or device in the socket engaging said tongue and holding the spring under tension, substantially as described.

The combination of the screen-frame and the notched guide, with a spring fixed to the frame at one end and having its other end bent at right angles and depending into a socket in the bottom of the groove, with a bolt engaging the bent end of the spring within the socket, and projecting beyond the inner side of frame and provided with a finger-piece, all substantially as specified.

4. The combination with the grooved screenframe and guide -rails, of a spring in the groove fiXed to the frame at one end, and adjustably attached thereto at the other end, whereby the spring is entirely confined within the groove and kept under tension, and the reinforcing-spring attached to the frame under the main spring, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination with the guide-rails, of the screen frames having grooves B and sockets B, the strap-sprin gs 0 having tongues c, and the adjusting bolts or devices D, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the notched guiderail, and the screen-frame having a groove B and socket B; with the spring C having tongue 0, the threaded bolt 01 having a head engaging the tongue, and the finger-piece d" screwed on the inner endof the bolt, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GILBERT K. MONROE.

Witnesses:

W. H. O. MONROE, W. L. PARMENTER. 

